Pop singer Bruno Mars joked about rumors of gambling debt during a performance in Las Vegas last weekend.
The Hawaiian pop star was performing at Allegiant Stadium over the weekend. But prior to his own tours, Mars had a residency at Park MGM. Since he was a huge music star, but wasn’t touring the globe, somebody started a rumor that he was working off a $50 million gambling debt he racked up at the property.
But in 2024, MGM Resorts denied that the artist owed the casino an eight-figure sum.
During his most recent Las Vegas performance, Mars poked fun at the false allegations while on stage with rapper and singer-songwriter Anderson .Paak.
“I hate to make this about me, but when I think about how much debt, I mean, how many steps it took to get here, I get emotional,” .Paak joked.
“I’m debt free, I paid the casino off a long time ago,” Mars jokingly responded.
Watch the 16-time Grammy winner’s interaction with .Paak below:
Bruno Mars tells Anderson .Paak that he’s “debt-free” at The Romantic Tour in Las Vegas:
“I paid the casino off a long time ago” pic.twitter.com/mYjUvoq4dj
— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 11, 2026
All-Night, High-Stakes Poker
“We’re proud of our relationship with Bruno Mars, one of the world’s most thrilling and dynamic performers,” MGM told Complex. “From his shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM to the new Pinky Ring lounge at Bellagio, Bruno’s brand of entertainment attracts visitors from around the globe. MGM and Bruno’s partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect.
“Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM. Together, we are excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests.”
While he may not have any gambling debt, Mars claims he played poker for a living before hitting it big in the music industry. He spoke about the game in an episode of “Carpool Karaoke” in 2016 with comedian James Corden. He said poker was his main source of income when he first moved to Los Angeles.
Brad Wilson of the Chasing Poker Greatness podcast corroborated his poker habits, which included an all-night poker session,
“Apparently, he was going on a world tour and wanted to blow off some steam before he spent two years on the road by playing some high-stakes poker,” Wilson said. “We got into the game together at about 5 p.m. and continued battling after the sun went down and then came back up again.”
Before He Was A Star
Users from a poker forum also shared stories from their own interactions with Mars at the poker table. Some were shocked he would become an on-stage star.
“I used to play with him at Hollywood Park before he got famous,” one user said. “He would often come in on a Friday or Saturday night after playing a gig. He was a decent enough laggy player, but I doubt he actually made any sort of living from it. Even back then he had a certain charisma, and I’m not surprised that he is famous.”
In a recent survey, residents of Mars’ home state of Hawaii said he was the celebrity they’d most like to play poker with.
